Fomenko Witold

Witold Fomenko was born in Lutsk, Volyn, in 1905. He grew up not far from the Jewish quarter. Communicating with the Jews, he learnt Yiddish. Then he was the teacher of music and barber, many of his pupils and clients were the Jews.

After Lutsk was captured by the Nazis, the ghetto was established in the city. Witold Fomenko tried to help the Jewish people: he brought food, firewood, medicines for the ghetto residents. Trying to cheer them up, he even sang the Jewish songs and told funny stories. Before the extermination of the ghetto in Lutsk, Witold Fomenko helped some Jews to escape from it by getting the false documents. Unfortunately, one of the Jews, whom Witold Fomenko helped, was arrested by gestapo and tortured, so he gave up Fomenko’s name. However, among Witold’s clients in Lutsk there were many German officers. One of them released the barber from the arrest. 

Fomenko tried to rescue dozens of the Jews. Nevertheless, only 36 of them survived.

After the extermination of the Lutsk ghetto Witold Fomenko helped the Jews in the labor ghetto not only with food and medicines, but also sheltered them in the houses of the non-Jewish people around the city.

After the end of the war Witold Fomenko married the Jewish woman saved by him. Together they migrated to Israel.

 

In 1961 Witold Fomenko died. In 1969 he was posthumously awarded the title of the Righteous Among the Nations.